Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1887-10-04
rnE INpusrRIEs or MlINE.

NNasI - .fN %"@-f = =
TnE INDUSTRIES or MAINE
Thst newspaper msn. ~ho In qse-s OF
intsTestlug Items" neglscts u visit =
certain quiet corner In the basement of tas
State House. falls sadly Ia hls daty. fJf
here he will dad, In The midst of huge vol.
umrs and blanks, Hon. \. w. Matthews.
Commissicuer of the BUREAU OF indus rial
and Labor Statistics. five may 80 speak
Mr. Matthews carries his "burcsu" around
with him, In . mind that has fsniiiisritsi
itself with vital statistics and TIA, seems
10 grasp iniuitively AL the iairicscies of
The work expected from HE department
Too much must not be txpectsd OF The
bnrvsa thls year. II Il q new departure
for Msine. and the work or the nrst year
must clearly be tentative In its character.
A. the people must be educated up 10 The
inten, and scope o;the work expected. IL
IL not . census work. bat the collection OF
statlstlcs and Information bearing upon
The Industries and labor Interests OF The
state A. one half the world ka0ws lot
how the other hslf nves, his snieA,of-
are directed 30 ascertxinlng The condition
Of the ~ called "laboring classes" getting
data of The wsgcs paid BY the various a..
tAblshmeuts ami corporations, The prices
paid for provisions and clothing. whica
will show The relative expenses Of living
among The labOring people of Maine. Ia
this he Il not Only assisted by the woik'
men. bat by dealers In provisions and vAfi-
ocs articles OF merchandise. THIS itquify
90 oOur.c incioiss the qaesuon ot wages,
ana the amount of resources OF life which
those wages will patcaAsr. from The re
turn. alrcsiy received. II l. found that The
Tarchsslng power of wages Il greater al
IN present time than daring The memory
~ The present generation.
II MAS shown a. the National COnvsu-
tiOu. hsld last May. At Madison, Wis that
eve bureaus were created last year-mak'
log Tie whole number of state boards
twenty, bcsldcs The u. \. bursn. Hanks
are sent Out 90 individuals and manioipA
oficers. who are responding quite fTeslJ.
Besides The cold ngurcs, rcmsfks arc vol
uuiserei by those forwarding The blanks
While We wsfs In the ofice, Thursday,
blank came 10. he ngurvs bslng enlisehsd
by he following rvmafks The man
waO saws cedar shingles la Afoosiook Tor
a livelihood. wont get fai, nor leave any
money Tor his chilirsu." We give that a.
"spccimen brick 10 the cOllcchon.
Oae 80 of blanks viii give Information
concsrulng fArming-nanoer cf farms,
uambsT Of acfcs Of Improved ani unim'
proved land, assessed vslusilon oi the
/ farms. actual valuation of the sane. nun
bsr ~ farm labOrcfs other than ouner-,
wAgts per month paid fsrm iAborcfs be-
sides board. TIE returns % manufActaf-
er. will show he bumber and klnfs of
manaf.ctafs. carried on. Some ~ the
corporations have besn tArcy Ia mailing
these returns, sni the Con missioner has
In mAny cases gous In person 20 ascertain
ne facts. In addition. he hAs pat oai
blanks 10 the ovsrsesfs Of TIE poor, ask.
iug for uumber % psBpers wholly or par.
TALLY supported ~ the town IL IL ek'
pscici ihai The namoer % pauPer- report
"a WlIi b. IL tKcsss % What ~As shoSn Ia
The last census. or some ZOO. This result
i obislned BY the system % reporting a.
p.upsrs AL who have besn Ia any way AZ
SISTED. A. az example, Que small town
mAkss The following return "Namber OF
paapsr.. :. uambSf wholly supported ~
town, q, uumbef partially sup2ortec, !.
cost % support of poor. ss1. 90 80 that
ihe small sum oftveniy.ihr~s dollars Ani
nny cent. pAupsr.Isi seven psrsors-
Rsckouci on this basis, t IL no wonder
that lArge numbsrs are returned ~ pau
pers Again. the city of Portland reports
about isOO p.u?ers. bat Oniy 80 of these
sfc iu the aims h0use.
Many aud interesting reports arc bsiug
received or the thousand or more blanks
sent Oui 10 The wofklug Iasn and wJnen
of the state. telling their side OF The story.
These returns will form The basis OF 9 very
marked feature Of the report All The rail-.
rOad blanks have besn promptly nlled sni
returned % the department They show
under the head of"Acciients" on railroads
In Maine. from June Soih, is,e, 10 Jaly ist
isss, that - person. were killci and s5
irlaf,d. This inelude- passengers, en-
p,o,es. those crossing the track. and in
short. al Glasses. This is ceriainly NOT
large number % accidents on roads opefA'
ting 9c5 miies.
The Commls ssloner feels pleased to state
that an article will be furnished Tor bis
rr., report by Hon Frederick Hooie. Mas
Ter % TIE State Grsugr, giving The history.
operations aud standing OF The order OF
Patrons OF llnsbandry. lie will treat The
subject In an exhaustive ani compfehen-
slys manner. The lsw provides that the
Commissioner shall Investigate The cause
of sirikes. lOck-Oats and other labor dis.
tafbanes-. This will embrace fair and
NrnlFtlA HNAtNN " " taNN- ~ NaN tarN
gathered from the most reliable parties on
both sides OF the controversy. As pre-
yeutlon IL better than cure. any time. the
Commissioned has pat In some solid work
A mediator In The settlement of several
strikes. while they we're Ia progress, thus
making hls ofileisl position practically feli
In arbitration, and a. The Right time.
The Commissioner has been making
some original Investigations, relating 10
the ten hour law and its effects. especially
relating 10 the dlmlnuiion OF product co.,
ssqaent upon IL enactment lie IL very
much pleased with the later returns. At
nr.t the reports from the leading cotton
mill. show a dlminution IN pfoduet OF
about i've per csut, aud In some cases ~
hiah A. seven per csrt Returns are now
In for the month of August, md the dimin-
qtlou iu proiue, Is less, Ia many eases
amounting % only two pei cent, and In
.ome mill. there l. the assurance that
there viii soou Dc no dimiEuiiOn what
ever. The new lsw appears 20 be working
10 the harmony of all.
This bureau has nothing 10 io with The
ofice OF Deputy Labor Commissioner.
That Is flled by Sir. l. X. Campbell, OF
Roekisrd, whose special duties src 10 see
that The ten hour law Il enforced. and be
visits every portion Of the State for that
purpose. lie has greatly assisted Mf.
Matthew'S 10 the gathering Of statistics.
Tho first annual report ~ Commissioner
Matthews will De rvsiy fJr the printer the
nrst of January. IL will make some three
hundred pages. and ten thousand copies
will be printed aud circulated. Al the
proper time We shall give the FdraSr read.
sr- = digest of IT. contents As We len
Mr. Matthews be hal hat In hand. ready
10 proceed % distant neld for the pur-
pose OF making further invesiigsiions.-
/ NJ Efrr.Tr